Car-coupling



(No Model.)

G. R. LEWIS.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 439,410. Patented 0011.28, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GRANVILLE R. LEIVIS, OF LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 439,410, dated October28, 1890.

$erial No. 358,433. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GRANVILLE R. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lynchburg, in the county of Campbell and State of Virginia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in car-couplings which will behereinafter more particularly described and pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a side View of the coupling. Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a plan view of a couplinglink.

A is the end sill of a car, and B B the buffers.

B is a hinge by which the coupling-pin is pivoted.

a is the coupling-pin, which has a hinge B, with its pivot some distancebeyond the pin outside, so that the pin by its weight will quickly fallto the vertical position shown in Fig. 1.

Z) is the bolt or pivot of the hinge B.

c is a bent lever pivoted by a bolt (Z.

c is a chain attaching the lever c to levers fcZ fcZ on the end sill A.The chain c is extended upwardly to the top of a car.

f'f are projections from the inside of the upper part of the coupler,forming inclined surfaces to guide the link to its place.

It is a rod at the upper end of the chain 6.

h is a groove in the coupler for the link to rest in.

Z is a sectional view of the end of the link.

j is the lower lip of the coupler.

is is a curved broken line showing the path of the bottom of thecoupling-pin when it moves inwardly.

7a is a key for fastening the bolt (Z.

w. is the draw-head.

C is a link having an open hook 1" at each end and the reversed curve ZZ interiorly and an opening Z" of proper length to give sufiicient playfor the pin, and to prevent it from being lifted out of the slot whenthe cars are being backed. The middle part of the link is solid to givestrength to the link. The curved recess 00 on one side allows morelateral play on that side.

The operation of this coupling is as follows The link C is placed in ahorizontal or inclined position, as may be required to couple the cars,in the draw-head of one car, resting in the groove h. \Vhen the carscome together, the outer end i of the link will shove the coupling-pininwardly ahead of it, and the lower end of the pin will swing on thecurved line 7; until the end Z of the link passes entirely under it,when the pin byits own gravity will drop back into the space Z.

To uncouple the cars, the brakeman from either side can move a lever 61f, or, being on top of the car, by means of rod h, can operate the bentlever c by lifting up the inner end 0, when the outer end 0' will movethe outer end of the coupling-piu a and swing the lower end of it highenough on the curved line It to clear the link and release it from thepin.

I claim-- I. In a car-coupling, the link C, having at each end an openhook "Z, the slot Z, with the semicircular recess Z, and reversed curveZ, substantially as set forth.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination of the pivoted coupling-pin withthe pivoted angula-r lever, one end of which swings the pin forward andthe other end is connected with means for operating it from the top andsides of the car, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GRANVILLE R. LEWIS.

Witnesses:

J. P. WILLIAMS, N. B. HANDY.

